Mr. Justin Pena opened the meeting by expressing his sincere gratitude for the warm reception extended by VWSA Vietnam. He articulated a profound interest in water resources and environmental protection, particularly within the Mekong River region. Subsequently, the Commercial Attaché engaged in discussions with VWSA leadership regarding plans for future collaborative engagements.

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Diep, Chairman of VWSA, conveyed his pleasure in welcoming the U.S. delegation and provided an initial overview of the current state of Vietnam's water sector.

Chairman Diep stated, "Water and environmental protection are issues of paramount concern to the Vietnamese government. Over the years, VWSA has benefited from the support and exchange of expertise with numerous countries globally, including Finland, Nordic nations, Australia, and France. While Vietnam's water sector utilizes certain U.S. water technologies in the scientific and technological domain, collaboration in other areas remains limited."

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Diep expressed his conviction that substantial opportunities for enhanced cooperation and development exist between the Vietnamese and U.S. water sectors. Building upon past collaborative endeavors, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Diep proposed five key areas for strengthened cooperation in the future.

Firstly, he emphasized the need for robust support in water resource management. He noted that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and various water sustainability research organizations have previously assisted Vietnam, particularly in the Mekong River basin, in addressing water security challenges. Vietnam seeks access to information regarding upcoming USAID programs and projects focused on water resource protection in the face of climate change.

Additionally, Vietnam is interested in exploring advanced U.S. water treatment technologies, such as nanofiltration membranes, UV water treatment, and seawater desalination. Both parties could consider the transfer of wastewater treatment and water reuse technologies to mitigate water scarcity.

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Diep further elaborated that beyond the aforementioned areas, significant opportunities exist for expanded cooperation in the development of water supply and sewerage infrastructure, including smart water network upgrade projects; the application of digital technologies and AI in water quality monitoring and water supply system operations; and collaboration with U.S. technology conglomerates like IBM and Microsoft in the development of intelligent water management software.

Moreover, human resource development will be a focal point. Vietnamese enterprises and universities can collaborate with U.S. institutions to train water sector engineers, facilitate academic exchanges, and conduct joint research.

During the meeting, Ms. Ha Thuy Hanh, Deputy Director of the Institute for Water Supply, Sewerage, and Environment Research at VWSA, remarked, "With a network of over 400 leading water supply and sewerage enterprises and VWSA's experienced experts, we can jointly organize seminars on emerging technologies, including digital and transformative technologies, and identify pilot technology deployment models in Vietnam."

Ms. Ha Thuy Hanh also suggested that pairing programs, experience exchanges, and technical assistance between Vietnamese provinces and U.S. states could serve as valuable components of future cooperation initiatives, drawing upon VWSA's successful implementation of similar programs with Australia and Finland.

Mr. Justin Pena, Commercial Attaché, US Embassy working at VWSA office

The U.S. delegation expressed gratitude for VWSA's insightful and comprehensive contributions and pledged that the U.S. Embassy's Commercial Section would subsequently introduce several U.S. enterprises to share their innovative water supply and sewerage technologies with Vietnamese counterparts, thereby fostering opportunities for deeper collaboration between the two nations' water sectors in the future.